Slidable gripping buckle



April 23, 5 H. J. REITER 2,636,234

SLIDABLE GRIPPING BUCKLE Filed Nov. :5, 1950 INVEN TOR. 1554mm? J. ENTER DRIVE Y Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDABLE GRIPPING BUCKLE Harold J. Reiter, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 3, 1950, Serial No. 193,974

6 Claims. (01. 24-17) 1 The invention relates to improvements in buckles and is more particularly concerned with the construction of a buckle of a kind having a frame formed with strap receiving openings at its ends and having novel means for locking a strap threaded through the openings and means for detachably connecting the buckle With an associated member.

Buckles of the type having strap receiving openings and detachable mounting means have been used before. One type is provided with prongs on or adjacent to the strap opening edges. Other types of buckles have rectangular or circular slide locks arranged to grip the strap where it passes through the strap receiving openings. Both of these buckle types have certain objectionable structural and functional characteristics. For example, when a buckle having pronged. strap openings is to be adjusted on the strap, the strap must be completely disengaged from the prongs before the buckle can be moved; otherwise the strap is liable to, and usually does, become torn. Known types of buckles having circular slide locks are bulky and lack means to hold the slide in strap gripping position when the strap is not tensioned as while in use. The latter type of buckle also lacks means to maintain the circular gripping member and the fastener member connected therewith in yielding engagement with both surfaces of the buckle frame so as to avoid unnecessary looseness in the assembly.

The structure of the buckle disclosed herein is such that the snap fastener socket carried thereby is partially embedded in the buckle frame, thus reducing the overall thickness of the buckle assembly. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a buckle having a minimum effective thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slide buckle having a circular gripping member fabricated in such a manner as to facilitate its yielding under vertical stress.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle of the character referred to with a dished circular gripping member having a circular rib on the concave face thereof constituting means effective to coact with projections on they buckle frame to retain the member frictionally in strap gripping position.

Another object of the invention is to provide:

abuckle of the character referred to which is not expensive to manufacture and which may be machine assembled easily and quickly with minimum effort and is highly eflicient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its mode of construction, assemblyand operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and ap-- preciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a strap having a buckle embodying features of the invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the novel buckle.

shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of said buckle.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional View of the buckle, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view similar to Fig. 3

but illustrating the strap threaded onto thebuckle frame and showing the circular gripping member in strap gripping position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a buckle having a snap fastener stud forming a part of the assembly.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawings, the buckle embodying the features of the present invention includes a substantially rectangular frame ll having transverse strap receiving openings l2 at its ends and a longitudinal aperture if. in the medial body portion l4 thereof.

The aperture [3 preferably is formed by remov-. ing a portion of the body of the buckle frame,- as best shown in Fig. 3, said aperture preferably.

terminating short of the transverse openings i2.

Obviously, the configuration of the buckle frame can be other than rectangular.

A circular gripping member 16 is arranged on the top surface of the buckle frame H. This gripping member is dished, as best illustrated in Fig. 4, and is disposed with its concave face toward the top surface of the buckle frame. A circular bead or rib ll is formed on the concave face of the gripping member It. The rib is concentric with the perimeter of the gripping member i6 and is spaced inwardly from the peripheral edge thereof. When the grippingmemberdsarranged on the top surface of the buckle :frame, the bead or rib ll rests on the frame and constitutes a bearing surface in engagement with the portions of the frame i I on either side of the aperture l 3. As a result, there is minimum frictional resistance to sliding of the gripping .memher along the frame in a manner to be described presently. The bead or rib fi also providesmeans to cooperate with means on the buckle frame for frictionally retaining the gripping member in various positions of adjustment, also to be described in detail presently.

The circular gripping member-it has anaxially located eyelet or hub it struck downwardly therefrom to afford means for fixedly securing said gripping member to a fastener elementsuch asthe snap fastener socket is illustrated'in-Figs. 1 through 6 or the snap fastener stud -28 illustrated in Fig. 7.

As best shown in'Figs. 4. and 5, the snap fastener socket 19 includes a circular inwardly penv ing channel 2! having a split ring 22' loosely mounted therein. This ring is adapted to yieldingly embrace the reduced neck portion of arelated stud element, generally indicated inbroken lines at 23, in Fig. 4, which element is carried on a related strap portion'2 l. The socket element I9 has a reduced circularneck portion 25 of'a diameter to fit freely into the'longitudinal aperture l3 in thebuckle frame H. As a result, the reduced neck portion 25 constitutes a bearing for slidably and rotatably guiding the socket element for movement along the buckle frame longitudinally.

The reduced-portion 25 includes an endwall 26 apertured to receive therethrough the downwardly extending eyelet E8 of the circular gripping member 56. The eyelet i8 is clinched over the inside surface of the end wall'26to jointhe gripping member and the socket element together. cular gripping member it and the socket-element lion the frame in such a:manner that both parts are held in yielding contact with opposite surfaces thereof. Because of the seating of the reduced portion 25 of the socketelement into the'frame aperture thandthe dishing of the circular member to accommodate said portion, the effective overall thickness of the 'assembly is kept at a minimum.

In use,'one end of the'sh'apitis threaded upwardly through one of the transverse "openings l2 in the buckle frame and is then carried across the domed-top. of the circular gripping member l6 and downwardly through the other transverse opening 52. The gripping member is then shifted longitudinally along thebuckle'frame it so as to cause .the periphery thereof to engage the strap where it passes through one of the openings. Preferably, the perimeter of the-gripping member is toothedas at 2?. locking action just'desciibed normally is effected after-the snap fastener socket i9 has been engaged withthe snap fastener stndrlfi ontheother end portion of the strap 25 andithe'two strap portions are pulled in .oppositedirections. .Of

This assembly securely mounts the 'cir-- The gripping .or

'cular gripping :member.

course, the slidable assembly may be shifted into strap gripping position irrespective of whether the fastener elements are engaged or disengaged.

It has been found that when the fastener elements of prior known devices are separated or tension on the strap portions is relieved, the circular gripping member returns to its initial or unlocked position. When this occurs, the buckle frame lisifree-to,and usuallyidoes, move out of its vadjustedposition on the-strap as. This, of course, necessitates repositioning of the buckle reach time the snap fastener elements are to be engaged.

In the present instance, means previously re- .ferred .to .is formed integrally with the buckle assembly to prevent misadjustment of the cir- Accordingly, the top surface .of the buckle frame closely adjacent to the side edges of the aperture i3 is provided with detent projections 28, there being two such projectionson-eachside of the aperture. These projections are'so'spaced longitudinaily that when the circulargripping-member it is shifted longttu'dinally in either direction from its central position'the rib thereon must pass over two of said projections so as to locate the projections outside of the perimeter'of the bead 17. This is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 6.

It shouldbe quite apparent that movementof the rib or bead I? over the projections 28 can be accomplished only through flexing of the dished gripping member it. Thus, the dishing of the saidmember serves the additional purposes of facilitating easy anclquicl: frictional locking of the gripping member in strap gripping posi tion and of holding the gripping member and the socket element in snug engagement with'the opposite surface of the frame H.

The Fig? disclosure is substantially like the disclosure described hereinabove eXcept-thatthe buckle is provided with a snap fastener stud 28' instead of a socket. As illustrated, thestud includes a base flange 32 which rides upon the bottom surface of the buckle frame ii, and the gripping member is has an elongated eyelet or hub 80: to engage in the stud and secure the parts assembled for slidable and rotatable move ment on the frame.

*It'is'believed that the invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its col-- vantages should be readily understood from the foregoing Without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described'for illustrative purposes, the struc-"- tural details are nevertheless capable of vari.a-' tion within the purview of-the invention as de-' fined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

:1. A-buckle comprising a frame, said frame having itransverse strap receiving openings in end portions thereof, the frame having an elongated longitudinal aperture in its. center portion,

' a fastener element arranged on one surface of the frame and having a reduced part arranged an'doperating in the frame aperture for movement along said aperture, a circular gripper member'arranged on the other surface of the frame, said member being dished and having its concave face disposed toward the frame, a hub projecting fromthe center of said member engagedin the reduced part of the fastener elementfor-retaining the element and member assembled 01111116 frame, the -member having its.

periphery adjacent the openings in the frame and adapted to grip a strap threaded through the frame openings in movement of the member longitudinally of the frame, a circular rib on the concave face of the gripper member, said rib being concentric with and adjacent to the gripper member perimeter to provide a bearing surface in contact with the frame, and means on the frame engageable by the rib to hold the member in strap gripping position.

2. A buckle comprising an elongated frame, said frame having transverse strap receiving openings in end portions thereof and a longitudinal aperture in its center portion, a snap fastener element arranged on one surface of the frame, said element having a reduced part er;- tending through the aperture, a circular gripper member arranged on the other surface of the frame, said member being dished and having its concave face disposed toward the frame, a

circular rib on the concave face and adjacent the periphery of the gripper member, a hub prejecting from the gripper member engaged in the reduced part of the fastener element to connect the element and member together for slidable and rotatable movement along the aperture, the member having its periphery adjacent the openings in the frame and adapted to grip a strap threaded through the frame openings in movement of the element and member longitudinally of the frame, and projections on the face of the frame underlying the gripper member to frictionally coact with the circular rib to hold the element and member in strap gripping position.

3. A buckle comprising an elongated frame, said frame having transverse strap receiving openings in end portions thereof and a longitudinal aperture in its center portion, a snap fastener element arranged on one surface of the frame, said element having a circular reduced part including an end wall extending through the aperture, a circular gripper member arranged on the other surface of the frame, said member being dished and having its concave face disposed toward the frame, a circular rib on the concave face and adjacent the periphery of the gripper member, a hub projecting from the gripper member extending through and riveted over the end wall of the reduced part of the fastener element to connect the element and member together for slidable and rotatable movement along the aperture, the member having its periphery adjacent the openings in the frame and adapted to grip a strap threaded through the frame openings in movement of the element and member longitudinally of the frame, and projections on the surface of the frame on opposite sides of the aperture underlying the gripper member to frictionally coact with the circular rib to hold the element and member in strap gripping position.

4. A buckle comprising an elongated frame having transverse strap receiving slots and a longitudinal aperture between said slots, a movable domed circular strap gripping member of greater diameter than said aperture arranged on one surface of the frame, a circular rib on the concave face of the domed member in sliding contact with the said frame surface, a snap fastener socket movable with the domed member and arranged in bearing engagement with the opposite surface of the frame, a circular reduced portion on the fastener socket extending through the longitudinal aperture, means connecting the circular member and the reduced portion of the fastener socket and rotatably mounting the member and socket on the frame, the aperture being of sufficient length to permit longitudinal shifting of the rotatable assembly into engagement with a strap threaded through the transverse slots, and projections on the surface of the frame underlying the circular strap gripping member over which the circular rib passes during movement of the rotatable assembly into strap engaging position, said domed circular member flexing under applied pressure longitudinally of the frame to permit such passage and acting to locate the rib in abutment with the projections to restrain movement of the assembly out of strap engaging position.

5. A buckle comprising an elongated frame having transverse strap receiving slots and a longitudinal aperture between said slots, a movable domed circular strap gripping member of greater diameter than said aperture arranged on one surface of the frame, a circular rib on the concave face of the domed member in sliding contact with the said frame surface, a fastener element movable with the domed member and arranged in bearing engagement with the opposite surface of the frame, means extending through the longitudinal aperture for connecting the circular member and the fastener element and rotatably mounting them on the frame, the aperture being of sufficient length to permit shifting of the rotatable assembly into engagement with a strap threaded through the transverse slots, and projections on the surface of the frame underlying the circular strap gripping member over which the circular rib passes during movement of the rotatable assembly into strap engaging position, said domed circular member flexing under applied pressure to permit such passage and acting to locate the rib in abutment with the projections to restrain movement of the assembly out of strap engaging position.

6. A buckle comprising a frame, said frame having transverse strap receiving openings in end portions thereof, the frame having an elongated longitudinal aperture in its center portion, a fastener element arranged on one surface of the frame and having a reduced part arranged and operating in the frame aperture for movement along said aperture, a circular gripper member arranged on the other surface of the frame, a hub projecting from the center of said member engaged in the reduced part of the fastener element for retaining the element and member having its periphery adjacent the openings in the frame and adapted to grip a strap threaded through the frame openings in movement of the member longitudinally of the frame, and a circular rib on the same face of the gripper member as the hub, said rib being concentric with and adjacent to the gripper member perimeter to provide a bearing surface in contact with the frame.

HAROLD J. REITER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 887,209 Mattson May 12, 1908 1,838,896 Russell Jan. 5, 1932 1,839,574 Merzinger Jan. 5, 1932 2,177,119 Reiter Oct. 24, 1939 2,486,652 Huelster Nov. 1, 1949 2,506,332 Bedford Ma 2. 1950 

